The Best Beauty Moments from the 2016 Met Gala

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May 3, 2016 @ 10:15 AM

by: Erin Lukas & Marianne Mychaskiw

What the Oscars are to acting, the Met Gala is to fashion. Every year on the first Monday of May, fashion’s biggest stars gather for the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York. Considering this year’s theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an age of Technology, is all about technology’s role in influencing and producing fashion, the beauty looks that accompanied celebrities’ red carpet couture outfits played into the theme and were equally as cutting-edge. Some looks included but not limited to gravity-defying hair and heavy-metal chromatic eye makeup. Scroll down to see the incredible beauty looks from all of the red carpet heavyweights at the Costume Institute’s annual event.

2.
Beyoncé

Wait, hold-up: Beyoncé traded her signature shimmery smoky eye for a dramatic pewter gray shadow. She kept the rest of the look low-key with a nude lip and sleek, straight strands.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

3.
Bella Hadid

Bella may have ignored the night’s tech theme, not that it mattered. Her flawless skin and muted smoky eye shows that a subtle approach can make just as big of a statement. Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo for Charlotte Tilbruy Beauty prepped Bella’s skin by massaging Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($100; charlottetilbruy.com) all over, followed by Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow ($55; charlottetilbury.com) to add luminosity to her complexion. He turned to Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Glow Foundation ($44; charlottetilbury.com) and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($68; charlottetilbury.com) as the final touches to give Hadid her unparalleled red carpet glow.

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4.
Alicia Vikander

Alicia’s high ponytail was anything but the one you haphazardly tie your hair into at the gym. The intricate braids and spirals were a welcome twist to the everyday style.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

5.
Claire Danes

One way to describe Claire Danes’ look? An electric Grace Kelly aesthetic. So as to not overpower her glowing Zac Posen gown, her hairstylist Peter Butler created a classic chignon, while her makeup artist Matin stuck to a statement lip using NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana ($32; nordstrom.com).

John Shearer/Getty Images

6.
Ciara

“For Ciara’s look, I really wanted to play up the futuristic theme of Manus x Machina while still keeping a soft and sexy feel,” says the star’s hairstylist Cesar Ramirez, who created a retro finger wave on her silver strands with his arsenal of Mizani products. “Months of planning went into Ciara’s final look, from the pre-production of hairstyles, to the fine details of product testing for the perfect silver effect.” She paired the dramatic effect with a sexy nude lip and smoldering shadow.

8.
Kate Hudson

Between her soft, touchable waves, shimmery shadow, and glowing complexion, the star’s look was classic Kate and allowed her graphic Versace gown to take center stage.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

9.
Lady Gaga

The star’s bold lip and platinum curls gave us a flashback to the old-school Gaga days. “Fashion in an age of technology is something I feel Lady Gaga has been a huge influence on,” says her makeup artist Sarah Tanno, who used the yet-to-be-released NARS Mineshaft Velvet Lip Glide to create the vivid orange pout. “I wanted to do something that was more rock in a modern and futuristic way.”

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10.
Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee’s glossy vampy lips and a center part brought a bit of ‘90s grunge to the Met Gala red carpet.

George Pimentel/WireImage

11.
Katie Holmes

“The whole feel became very Cher-esque,” says Holmes’ hairstylist DJ Quintero. “Almost a ‘70s throwback.” After inserting a set of mile-long extensions, Quintero applied the Alterna Caviar CC Cream ($25; sephora.com) to the star’s damp hair, then blow-dried her strands with a round brush. A quick pass of the flat iron locked in the bone-straight texture, and he followed with a dollop of Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist ($25; sephora.com) which helped to blend the extensions with the star’s layers.

John Shearer/Getty Images

12.
Katy Perry

Katy Perry is no dark horse when it comes to making a bold statement on the red carpet. The singer took the retro beehive style to new heights thanks to a few tricks by celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton. He used Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Mousse ($23; ulta.com) on Katy’s damp hair to create extra volume for the sculpted style from the get-go. Once he created the beehive, ran Oscar Blandi Sculpting Promade ($23; dermstore.com) throughout to give Katy’s hair its structured, futuristic, high-shine finish. Perry continued the futuristic theme with bleached brows and her makeup, by taking the blue mascara and black matte lipstick from her upcoming Katy Kat CoverGirl Collection for a red carpet test drive.

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

13.
Kendall Jenner

Jenner complemented her dewy skin and sculpted brows with a tight ponytail that sat high on the crown.

Bill Davila/startraksphoto.com

14.
Kerry Washington

Washington’s hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew mirrored the punk rock vibe of her bold eye with an edgy set of magenta ringlets. After prepping her strands with Neutrogena’s Triple Repair Shampoo and Triple Moisture Recovery Mask ($5 each; walmart.com), she blew out her strands with the T3 Featherweight Luxe Dryer ($150; sephora.com) and a round brush. Picking up the T3 Bodywaver ($149; sephora.com), Sturdivant-Drew began creating soft spiral curls. “I wrapped medium strands of hair loosely around the tool for 7 seconds, pinning the curls as I went,” she says.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

15.
Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West

The couple that slays together, stays together! Mrs. Kardashian West worked a slicked-back hairstyle, which was created by Cesar Ramirez, then her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic went to work on her smoky eye and nude lip pairing. Though Kim typically goes for a similar look off the red carpet, Dedivanovic gave it an ultra-modern twist by completely bleaching her brows, then filled in her arches using Sephora Collection’s Retractable Brow Pencil in Honey Blonde ($12; sephora.com). Kanye appropriately kept the vibe going with a set of pale blue contact lenses.

17.
Kylie Jenner

To balance the graphic effect of her blinged-out Balmain number, Kylie Jenner went for a sleek, side-parted bob, which she paired with neutral tones on her eyes and lips. Her makeup artist Ariel Tejada used the shades from both the Vintage Vamp Luxury Palette and Dolce Vita Luxury Palette by Charlotte Tilbury ($52 each; nordstrom.com), using each of the “pop” shades as a base, then worked with the darker hues along the outer corners and lower lash line. After a few ample coats of mascara (and some light contouring, natch), Tejada traced Jenner’s signature pout with Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Liner in Iconic Nude ($22; nordstrom.com), and finished by filling in her lips with Tilbury’s lipstick in Penelope Pink ($32; nordstrom.com).

Karwai Tang/WireImage

18.
Rosie Huntington-Whitely

To complement the neutral eye and lip created by her makeup artist Kate Lee, who used Chanel products, her hairstylist Christian Wood formed a low bun with a futuristic, mirror-like shine, courtesy of Moroccanoil’s Glimmer Shine spray ($14; nordstrom.com). “As soon as I saw the stunning Ralph Lauren gown, I knew the hair needed to be simple, clean, and elegant – Old Hollywood with a modern twist,” he says.

George Pimentel/WireImage

19.
Kristen Stewart

No one pulls off an ode to punk rock quite like Kristen Stewart. Celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey created the actress’s silver graphic eye using Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Fresh Effect Eyeshadow in Vert Grisé ($34; chanel.com) to create the geometric shape then went over it with the silver shade in CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Tissé Ombre de Lune ($61; chanel.com), really pressing it in with a nylon brush to boost the metallic effect. Dempsey then lined Stewart’s lids with Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Ébène ($33; chanel.com) and smudged the liner on the lower lash-line to give it that lived-in effect as seen on the members of your favorite band.

Venturelli/FilmMagic

20.
Selena Gomez

All eyes were on Selena Gomez’s fresh-faced makeup. The singer chalked her complexion up to a handful of Kiehl’s products celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo had in his arsenal. Vanngo wanted Gomez to look “beautiful, fresh, sexy, and young,” so he paid extra care when prepping her skin. First he treated Gomez’s skin to Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque ($32; kiehls.com), then patted a few drops of Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate ($46; kiehls.com) on her cheeks and forehead for extra radiance, finishing by moisturizing her skin with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream ($48; kiehls.com) and Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado ($48; kiehls.com).

George Pimentel/WireImage

21.
Taylor Swift

The singer complemented her new platinum crop with a edgy bordeaux lip that almost appeared black.

George Pimentel/WireImage

22.
Sarah Jessica Parker

In lieu of a dramatic headpiece, Sarah Jessica Parker wore her layers in tousled waves, and her makeup artist Leslie Lopez used her metallic eye as the focal point. “Bold eyes are always a priority for Sarah. She loves a good, strong eye,” says the pro, who layered the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks in Tuxedo, Rosegold, and Gilded Gold ($29 each; nordstrom.com) to create the effect.

Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic

23.
Zendaya

Further proof Zendaya can pull-off any hair style: her futuristic bowl cut wig she rocked on the red carpet with a gilded smoky eye.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

24.
Gigi Hadid

Gigi shone in every aspect of her look for the evening with a sleek pony, bronze lids, and chrome manicure by KISS Nails, complete with hidden crystals that cost a cool $2000.